Sporting News And AOL Sports Reach Content-Providing Arrangement

The Sporting News is making an aggressive push to become a top-10 sports website with a broad content-providing arrangement with AOL Sports. Executives were scheduled to inform staffs at both organizations of the agreement later today. The deal will create Sporting News on AOL within the next 60 days and give the venerable sports brand instant digital relevance.

“We’ve made a lot of headway as far as adding video and developing a social media strategy," said Sporting News President and Publisher Jeff Price. "Adding scale was the last thing advertisers were asking for, and this deal allows us to deliver that." "The vision is one of providing real-time breaking sports news with a dynamic social media strategy and high-quality columnists and overall great journalism," said AOL Media President David Eun. Terms of the deal were not available at press time.

Sports content for AOL has been under its internally developed Fanhouse brand for the past two years. Starting in March, Sporting News will provide and develop a majority of the content for the site from its current staff based in Charlotte. Sporting News will license the Fanhouse brand from AOL and use it as a home for the site’s “voice,” or its columnists. Sporting News is expected to add a handful of top columnists from AOL, but sources said a number of AOL Sports editorial staffers have already been seeking jobs at other sports sites. It was unclear if any AOL Sports management will join Sporting News.

Sporting News is owned and operated by SportsBusiness Journal/Daily parent company American City Business Journals.